| Seeing a bit of the world ideas. 10:25 - Jun 16 with 7013 views | BanksterDebtSlave |
Junios Slave is 2 years away from GCSE's followed by a long empty Summer which may well be the last chance for some quality family time together. (and the first opportunity time wise) Where would people suggest going as a family for about 4 weeks of travels to really see something of the world rather than only beaches. At the moment she still seems to like us so this is all assuming that is still the case then! |  |
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| Seeing a bit of the world ideas. on 11:16 - Jun 16 with 2281 views | StokieBlue |
| Seeing a bit of the world ideas. on 11:11 - Jun 16 by gordon |
By bus across Turkey from Istanbul. You can fly from Istanbul to Tbilisi as well though - I took the bus because I was working near Batumi, near to the Turkish border. |
That sounds excellent but it's got to be 24 hours on the bus or something?
Not sure my holiday allowance is going to cut it.
SB |  |
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| Seeing a bit of the world ideas. on 11:20 - Jun 16 with 2275 views | footers |
| Seeing a bit of the world ideas. on 11:16 - Jun 16 by StokieBlue |
That sounds excellent but it's got to be 24 hours on the bus or something?
Not sure my holiday allowance is going to cut it.
SB |
Sod that lad, night or two in Istanbul- stuff yer face with kebabs and get sponged down in a bath house- then jet off to Georgia. None of this National Express malarkey. |  |
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| Seeing a bit of the world ideas. on 11:26 - Jun 16 with 2260 views | gordon |
| Seeing a bit of the world ideas. on 11:16 - Jun 16 by StokieBlue |
That sounds excellent but it's got to be 24 hours on the bus or something?
Not sure my holiday allowance is going to cut it.
SB |
Sure, but the flight from Istanbul to Tblisi is only about 2 or 3 hours, from London you can be in Tblisi in 8 or 9 hours. |  | | |
| Seeing a bit of the world ideas. on 11:43 - Jun 16 with 2227 views | catch74 |
Anyone done the trans-Siberian railway? Takes about a week but you can branch off into China, Mongolia and North Korea. |  |
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| Seeing a bit of the world ideas. on 11:46 - Jun 16 with 2224 views | gordon |
| Seeing a bit of the world ideas. on 11:04 - Jun 16 by footers |
Booking Georgia in a few weeks (SB is interested too) but what's the the best way to get there? Not many direct flights...
P.S. We're not going together, just to clarify. [Post edited 16 Jun 2019 11:07]
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Sorry - didn't see this - the cheapest / easiest way is Turkish Airlines to Istanbul and then fly on to Tblisi from there - as you say, spend a day or two in Istanbul if interested. In Georgia Tblisi is really interesting, and Mtskheta is a beautiful old city.
Getting around is really easy and cheap because of the marshrutkas, a cross between a bus and a taxi, and the drivers are mental so I wouldn't hire a car. I went by train between Batumi and Tblisi but I don't think you can get to the north by train.
The most fascinating bits of Georgia are the mountainous regions in the north, Svaneti, Kazbegi etc. Mestia and Stepantsminda are good places where it's easy to find space to stay in a B&B etc- there will be other similar villages further west in Svaneti. If you're more adventurous, fit, and confident with a map there are long distance trails through the mountains from village to village - people will always put you up and feed you really cheaply.
Batumi is a bit of a dive, but Mtirala National Park is nice - endless forests of old beech / oak forests, you'll hear Jackals and wolves at night-time if you camp out. Don't know much about the rest of Black Sea coast.
Your top bird to spot in N Georgia (for the casual enthusiast) is definitely the Lammergeier, enormous bone-eating vultures in the mountains of the north, very easy to see in Stepantsminda. In late August through to the end of September you hit raptor migration, and can sometimes see flocks of thousands of Honey Buzzards / Eagles / Harriers / Bee-eaters / Storks etc migrating from Siberia to Africa, passing in between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea. [Post edited 16 Jun 2019 11:47]
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| Seeing a bit of the world ideas. on 11:48 - Jun 16 with 2220 views | footers |
| Seeing a bit of the world ideas. on 11:43 - Jun 16 by catch74 |
Anyone done the trans-Siberian railway? Takes about a week but you can branch off into China, Mongolia and North Korea. |
That's my 'bucket list' trip. Some absolutely stunning sights along the way there.
Moscow-Petersburg sleeper train also a great experience. Can do both cities with ease. | |
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| Seeing a bit of the world ideas. on 11:51 - Jun 16 with 2217 views | footers |
| Seeing a bit of the world ideas. on 11:46 - Jun 16 by gordon |
Sorry - didn't see this - the cheapest / easiest way is Turkish Airlines to Istanbul and then fly on to Tblisi from there - as you say, spend a day or two in Istanbul if interested. In Georgia Tblisi is really interesting, and Mtskheta is a beautiful old city.
Getting around is really easy and cheap because of the marshrutkas, a cross between a bus and a taxi, and the drivers are mental so I wouldn't hire a car. I went by train between Batumi and Tblisi but I don't think you can get to the north by train.
The most fascinating bits of Georgia are the mountainous regions in the north, Svaneti, Kazbegi etc. Mestia and Stepantsminda are good places where it's easy to find space to stay in a B&B etc- there will be other similar villages further west in Svaneti. If you're more adventurous, fit, and confident with a map there are long distance trails through the mountains from village to village - people will always put you up and feed you really cheaply.
Batumi is a bit of a dive, but Mtirala National Park is nice - endless forests of old beech / oak forests, you'll hear Jackals and wolves at night-time if you camp out. Don't know much about the rest of Black Sea coast.
Your top bird to spot in N Georgia (for the casual enthusiast) is definitely the Lammergeier, enormous bone-eating vultures in the mountains of the north, very easy to see in Stepantsminda. In late August through to the end of September you hit raptor migration, and can sometimes see flocks of thousands of Honey Buzzards / Eagles / Harriers / Bee-eaters / Storks etc migrating from Siberia to Africa, passing in between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea. [Post edited 16 Jun 2019 11:47]
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Wow- thanks a lot for that, brilliant post.
We're heading over in time for the rugby world cup so not sure how outward-bound we're likely to be! But that sounds amazing, might have to give the pubs up for a day or two :)
Not sure I'd want to risk going off-piste with just a map and compass though... especially with those vultures about!
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| Seeing a bit of the world ideas. on 11:58 - Jun 16 with 2207 views | gordon |
| Seeing a bit of the world ideas. on 11:04 - Jun 16 by BanksterDebtSlave |
Definitely interested. |
To add to above, the nice thing about a country like Georgia for a young mind (or indeed an old mind) is that after a few weeks there you get a real sense of the culture and history of the place, and combined with a couple of decent books about the country, you really come to know the place - helped by the fact that because of the culture of marshrutkas and the informal B&B culture in the villages it's easy to get to know people.
One trip in a Marshrutka and the driver explained that some of his family lived in South Ossetia and some in North Ossetia (so some in Russian territory and some in Georgian territory) and since the most recent conflict his family on the Georgian side were now unable to visit his family on the Russian side of the border (but his family on the Russian side could still visit Georgia) - there was lots more detail that I forget, including vivid descriptions of the Russian tanks rolling unimpeded past his village down the road towards Tblisi | | | |
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| Seeing a bit of the world ideas. on 12:04 - Jun 16 with 2195 views | Leaky |
I did a Safari to the Masia Mara a few years ago truly amazing experience |  | | |
| Seeing a bit of the world ideas. on 12:11 - Jun 16 with 2185 views | BanksterDebtSlave |
| Seeing a bit of the world ideas. on 11:58 - Jun 16 by gordon |
To add to above, the nice thing about a country like Georgia for a young mind (or indeed an old mind) is that after a few weeks there you get a real sense of the culture and history of the place, and combined with a couple of decent books about the country, you really come to know the place - helped by the fact that because of the culture of marshrutkas and the informal B&B culture in the villages it's easy to get to know people.
One trip in a Marshrutka and the driver explained that some of his family lived in South Ossetia and some in North Ossetia (so some in Russian territory and some in Georgian territory) and since the most recent conflict his family on the Georgian side were now unable to visit his family on the Russian side of the border (but his family on the Russian side could still visit Georgia) - there was lots more detail that I forget, including vivid descriptions of the Russian tanks rolling unimpeded past his village down the road towards Tblisi |
Definitely food for thought along with the chance to explore inland Turkey and maybe Lebanon too! The bird stuff sounds amazing. [Post edited 16 Jun 2019 12:12]
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| Seeing a bit of the world ideas. on 12:17 - Jun 16 with 2181 views | gordon |
| Seeing a bit of the world ideas. on 11:51 - Jun 16 by footers |
Wow- thanks a lot for that, brilliant post.
We're heading over in time for the rugby world cup so not sure how outward-bound we're likely to be! But that sounds amazing, might have to give the pubs up for a day or two :)
Not sure I'd want to risk going off-piste with just a map and compass though... especially with those vultures about!
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I think a good trip then would be to get a marshrutka out to Stepantsminda, get one that charges a few extra quid and promises to stop at a few nice sites, and then stay in Stepantsminda for a couple of nights and hike up to the Gergeti Glacier during your day there, visiting the Gergeti church on the way. The drive up to Stepantsminda is pretty stunning with lots to see.
Also Mtshketa (apologies for spelling) is only about 20km outside Tblisi and really easy to visit. | | | |
| Seeing a bit of the world ideas. on 12:22 - Jun 16 with 2176 views | gordon |
| Seeing a bit of the world ideas. on 12:11 - Jun 16 by BanksterDebtSlave |
Definitely food for thought along with the chance to explore inland Turkey and maybe Lebanon too! The bird stuff sounds amazing. [Post edited 16 Jun 2019 12:12]
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If going for a bigger trip I'd see about combining it with Armenia and Azerbaijan (I've never been to either) but I'll do this if I get to go out again. But just the bus ride through Turkey was fascinating for me, I'd never imagined lush forests and snow-capped mountains there! | | | |
| Seeing a bit of the world ideas. on 14:19 - Jun 16 with 2141 views | SpruceMoose |
| Seeing a bit of the world ideas. on 10:31 - Jun 16 by BanksterDebtSlave |
Thinking of further afield. |
Jaywick? |  |
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"Imagine being a heterosexual white male in Britain at this moment. How bad is that. Everything you say is racist, everything you say is homophobic. The Woke community have really f****d this country." | | Poll: | Selectamod |
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| Seeing a bit of the world ideas. on 16:22 - Jun 16 with 2122 views | WeWereZombies |
| Seeing a bit of the world ideas. on 10:59 - Jun 16 by footers |
Many people have had great things to say about Belize. Not been myself though. |
Belize is cool but very laid back. The Jaguar Reserve is vast, there is Garifuna music on feast days (this extends down into the Caribbean coasts of Guatemala and Honduras too), ancient ruins are starting to be opened up for tourists to visit.
My son told me after he got back that he hired a bicycle and set off from Cancun down the Mexican coast, glad I did not know about that at the time but he said he did not feel threatened at all. However he had just been working in Panama for a couple of months. As Stokie said Tikal is stunning, as is Copan Ruinas - and that site is the only sane place in the tragic morass that I found Honduras to be. El Salvador gets bad press but I had a thoroughly lovely time in Suchitoto, including a horse riding tour of old guerilla fortifications from someone who had fought the Yankee banked right wingers (just thought i would sound off a dog whistle there). Did most of Central America by chicken bus and that added a real piquancy to the experience.
Cuba seemed as safe as houses when I went there six years ago, cheap as chips and staying in Casa Rurales was a great way to meet locals and have excellent food cooked to perfection. The music in Havana and Trinidad de Cuba was unbelievably good. I tool a while to get used to Jamaica but once I discovered route taxis as the way to get around I was much happier and particularly enjoyed touristy Ocho Rios and down and dirty Port Antonio.
A note of caution in Central America, if you are after a lot of nightlife then add in taxi fares to the budget and make sure you get recommendations before you book a taxi. [Post edited 20 Jun 2019 19:49]
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| Seeing a bit of the world ideas. on 16:36 - Jun 16 with 2118 views | BanksterDebtSlave |
| Seeing a bit of the world ideas. on 16:22 - Jun 16 by WeWereZombies |
Belize is cool but very laid back. The Jaguar Reserve is vast, there is Garifuna music on feast days (this extends down into the Caribbean coasts of Guatemala and Honduras too), ancient ruins are starting to be opened up for tourists to visit.
My son told me after he got back that he hired a bicycle and set off from Cancun down the Mexican coast, glad I did not know about that at the time but he said he did not feel threatened at all. However he had just been working in Panama for a couple of months. As Stokie said Tikal is stunning, as is Copan Ruinas - and that site is the only sane place in the tragic morass that I found Honduras to be. El Salvador gets bad press but I had a thoroughly lovely time in Suchitoto, including a horse riding tour of old guerilla fortifications from someone who had fought the Yankee banked right wingers (just thought i would sound off a dog whistle there). Did most of Central America by chicken bus and that added a real piquancy to the experience.
Cuba seemed as safe as houses when I went there six years ago, cheap as chips and staying in Casa Rurales was a great way to meet locals and have excellent food cooked to perfection. The music in Havana and Trinidad de Cuba was unbelievably good. I tool a while to get used to Jamaica but once I discovered route taxis as the way to get around I was much happier and particularly enjoyed touristy Ocho Rios and down and dirty Port Antonio.
A note of caution in Central America, if you are after a lot of nightlife then add in taxi fares to the budget and make sure you get recommendations before you book a taxi. [Post edited 20 Jun 2019 19:49]
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July/August may not be the best time to go by the look of it and the same may apply to Vietnam/Cambodia too? | |
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| Seeing a bit of the world ideas. on 16:54 - Jun 16 with 2113 views | WeWereZombies |
| Seeing a bit of the world ideas. on 16:36 - Jun 16 by BanksterDebtSlave |
July/August may not be the best time to go by the look of it and the same may apply to Vietnam/Cambodia too? |
I guess so, I did Guatemala to Panama in March, Cuba in December and Jamaica in February. However, the further south you go the less difference there is in seasons - but you do want to avoid hurricane season in the Caribbean.
The Masai Mara was mentioned earlier, I haven't been but we did go to South Africa in April 2013 and loved it so much we went back for October. Never done that anywhere else but their game parks are, well, wild and should be OK in the depths of winter although you may want to wear socks as well as shorts... | |
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| Seeing a bit of the world ideas. on 17:01 - Jun 16 with 2110 views | BanksterDebtSlave |
| Seeing a bit of the world ideas. on 16:54 - Jun 16 by WeWereZombies |
I guess so, I did Guatemala to Panama in March, Cuba in December and Jamaica in February. However, the further south you go the less difference there is in seasons - but you do want to avoid hurricane season in the Caribbean.
The Masai Mara was mentioned earlier, I haven't been but we did go to South Africa in April 2013 and loved it so much we went back for October. Never done that anywhere else but their game parks are, well, wild and should be OK in the depths of winter although you may want to wear socks as well as shorts... |
Do you know anybody that can recommend sandals? | |
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| Seeing a bit of the world ideas. on 18:12 - Jun 16 with 2083 views | WeWereZombies |
| Seeing a bit of the world ideas. on 17:01 - Jun 16 by BanksterDebtSlave |
Do you know anybody that can recommend sandals? |
It is one thing I wish I could do, go around barefoot. You see people, black and white, who do so by choice in South Africa. I saw one young lad, thirteen maybe, in Johannesburg Airport just walking along as if he were in the Veldt and he couldn't understand my astonished stare at his feet. Terrible if you cannot afford shoes and you need them but I would love to always feel the ground underneath me and also to be aware enough of where I was walking that I never trod on broken glass and so on. Must make you feel an extra connection to nature, and also tougher. | |
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| Seeing a bit of the world ideas. on 18:17 - Jun 16 with 2082 views | jaykay |
no one mention nepal or sikkim to be in the foothills of the himalayas. i hope to go in january of next year. the hill stations and the toy train [Post edited 16 Jun 2019 19:28]
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| forensic experts say footers and spruces fingerprints were not found at the scene after the weekends rows |
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| Seeing a bit of the world ideas. on 19:34 - Jun 16 with 2065 views | ChiefXL |
| Seeing a bit of the world ideas. on 11:03 - Jun 16 by gordon |
Georgia is a fantastic, fascinating country with great wilderness areas, loads of history where you won't come across the typical traveller types. If interested I can give more suggestions / ideas. |
I was in Tbilisi last month. Was absolutely blown away by the place. |  | | |
| Seeing a bit of the world ideas. on 21:51 - Jun 16 with 2036 views | bluelagos |
I would happily recommend an overlanding trip in the developing world.
Junior will get to see amazing scenary. They will experience/see real differences in the world which should open their minds. They will have to roll up sleeves ref cooking, camping. Character building experience.
I'd recommend Vic Falls to Cape Town (Okavango, Namibia, Kalahari). 3 week trip and spend some time in Cape Town where you can then learn about the struggle against Apartheid.
Would be within budget, just. |  |
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| Seeing a bit of the world ideas. on 23:25 - Jun 16 with 2008 views | BanksterDebtSlave |
| Seeing a bit of the world ideas. on 21:51 - Jun 16 by bluelagos |
I would happily recommend an overlanding trip in the developing world.
Junior will get to see amazing scenary. They will experience/see real differences in the world which should open their minds. They will have to roll up sleeves ref cooking, camping. Character building experience.
I'd recommend Vic Falls to Cape Town (Okavango, Namibia, Kalahari). 3 week trip and spend some time in Cape Town where you can then learn about the struggle against Apartheid.
Would be within budget, just. |
Thanks bl...totally agreec bout the character building and eye opening plus hopefully some lifetime memories for all of us. Just need to find somewhere out of winter/rainy/hurricane season now during July/August which is suitably mind boggling! Plenty of food for thought so far so thanks all. | |
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| Seeing a bit of the world ideas. on 23:25 - Jun 16 with 2008 views | StokieBlue |
| Seeing a bit of the world ideas. on 16:36 - Jun 16 by BanksterDebtSlave |
July/August may not be the best time to go by the look of it and the same may apply to Vietnam/Cambodia too? |
I wouldn't worry too much. I did the rainy season in both and saw virtually no rain. It'll be hugely cheaper as well.
That is of course ancedotal evidence and I may have just got very lucky.
SB | |
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| Seeing a bit of the world ideas. on 23:42 - Jun 16 with 2002 views | BLUEBEAT |
I would say India.
4 weeks and you could cover West (moving into central), South, East and North(ish!)
Cheap as anything, beautiful and eye-opening.
Will imprint a real sense of humble appreciation of where she lives and how she has been cared for too! |  |
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